Lessons on the Noun Phrase in English: From Representation to Reference

Distinguishing the components that make up the meaning of a noun enables us to understand what permits us to say "Ground temperature plus one degrees," or to invent "small is beautiful." A careful look at the meaning and role of -'s and of words like a/the, any/some, this/that, often found in noun phrases, reveals how they refer to the speaker's message. Examining pronouns pin-points the fundamental role of the representation of a grammatical person in all noun phrases.